Jackson Remembered Fondly for 1989 Stockton Visit (after Cleveland School shootings)

[The Straight Story]

Jackson Remembered Fondly for 1989 Stockton Visit


STOCKTON, CA - Diane Batres wasn't happy back in 1989 when she took a call from someone at MJJ Productions.

"I thought it was someone wanting to make a movie. I was furious," said Batres.

The Cleveland School shootings had happened a couple weeks before -- and Batres was in charge of the District Attorney's Victim Witness department. Then she learned MJJ was Michael Jackson, offering a Stockton visit to comfort survivors of the school attack.

"It was very kind of him to do this. He brought truckloads of gifts to the children and held children in his arms. He was genuinely concerned and expressed his sorrow," said Batres.

Jackson gave videotapes of his recent recordings to the children. One of the songs was 'Man in the Mirror.' Batres heard later from a grateful parent how much that meant.

"One of the mothers called after the experience and said, 'I'm so glad I saw that' because she realized for the first time there were yellow tears, white tears, brown tears and black tears. Every tear was the same color. They all felt the same sadness," said Batres.


http://www.news10.net/news/featured/story.aspx?storyid=62018&catid=49

Like him or not, many were impacted in a personal way by MJ.